President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday attempted to demonstrate that she can restore trust in the agency, during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing.
The issue of vaccines took center stage during the hearing for Erica Schwartz, who sought to assure senators that she wouldn’t take steps to restrict vaccine access or spread misinformation, while also proving that she can work under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., who will be leaving the Senate after he lost his primary to Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow this spring, did not mince his words.
The issue of vaccines has been “settled,” he said, but has been mired in misinformation such as a link between immunization and autism. The CDC last year removed the hepatitis B vaccine from the list of universally recommended doses received at birth, which drew backlash from the medical community.
“You have to wonder why people would spread that misinformation,” Cassidy said.
